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Slithersucker
|name = Slithersucker |image= |subphylum=Conosa |infraphylum=Mycetozoa }} The '''slithersucker' is a form of giant predatory slime mould native to the Northern Forest of Pangaea II in 200 million AD. Evolution .]] Slime moulds, communities of microbes that come together to form a single, coordinated organism, do not grow very large in the Human era, and feed mainly on microorganisms which are invisible to the naked eye. Because of their nature, the slime moulds survived the 100 million AD mass extinction, and, with many niches of life left uninhabited, quickly became larger and more organized. Biology The slithersucker is composed of millions of microbes which are acting as a single organism. Because of this, it is capable of changing its shape with ease, can split into multiple parts, and can survive practically anything. It is also capable of dissolving the tissue of animals. However, its movement is very slow, and it cannot travel any significant distances by itself. Behaviour Slithersuckers live in the hollow cores of lichen trees, coming out at certain times of the day to drape itself over the branches, waiting for prey such as insects or forest flish to fly into its trap. Once it has caught an animal, it slides off the branch and crashes onto the forest floor, where it dissolves and eats its prey. Larger animals may take several days to be dissolved. Ecology .]] The slithersucker has a symbiotic relationship with lichen trees. It lives inside the hollow, algal core of the lichen, emerging through the organism's porous skin at certain times of the day to catch unsuspecting flish. Any parts of the flish that are undigested will fall to the ground and be absorbed as nutrients by the lichen, therefore benefiting both organisms. As it is too slow to move significant distances by itself, the slithersucker utilises megasquid to disperse its microbes throughout the forest, allowing it to multiply. It changes into the shape of a lichen tree pod, which are fed upon by megasquid, and is digested. Microbes then migrate across the megasquid's body, effectively taking control of it, and forcing it to sneeze out the slithersucker into another part of the forest. Appearances In the documentary In The Future Is Wild, a slithersucker appears in "The Tentacled Forest". It catches and digests a forest flish, before transforming itself into a fruit-like shape to attract a megasquid, which it uses for dispersal. In the animated series Major appearances In "Cure For The Common Megasquid Cold," a megasquid sneezes out pieces of a slithersucker onto Luis, which, combined with his recent ill health, leads him to believe he has caught an illness from the megasquid. Another slithersucker catches a forest flish, which is rescued by Squibbon. Later, C.G. and Ethan become stuck in an enormous slithersucker, part of which is eaten by the megasquid. In the end, the megasquid sneezes slithersucker on C.G., Ethan, and Emily as well. Minor appearances In "Sweet Home Pangaea II," Luis and C.G. come across pieces of a slithersucker expelled by a megasquid on the forest floor. List of appearances *''The Future Is Wild'' **1x13. The Tentacled Forest *''The Future is Wild: A Natural History of the Future'' *''The Future Is Wild'' animated series **1x14. Sweet Home Pangaea II **1x23. Cure For The Common Megasquid Cold *''The Future Is Wild: The Living Book'' Notes *The slithersucker is the only one of the original organisms of the Northern Forest not to appear in the manga. This is the only case of one organism from an ecoregion not appearing in the manga: every other chapter features all the organisms of their respective settings. Gallery Documentary= FIW 1x13 Slithersucker.png FIW 1x13 Flish caught.png FIW 1x13 Slithersucker disguised.png FIW 1x13 Megasquid sneezing.png |-|Promotional= Slithersucker_promo.jpg In other languages Navigation Category:Fungi, algaes, moulds and lichens Category:Colonial organisms Category:Organisms of 200 million AD Category:Organisms of Pangaea II Category:Organisms of the Northern Forest Category:200 million AD